The Bishop's Perspective - Accompanying Jesus to Calvary as Jesus accompanies us

As hard as it is to realize that two months of this new year have come and gone, I am glad to know that we are in the month of March---the month I always associate with my most favorite season of all, spring!  In just a few weeks, we will observe the Spring Equinox, ending the long months of winter when all of nature was asleep, ready now to begin the next three months of spring, a time when nature returns to “new life” in all its splendor and freshness.  Already we are seeing the signs that springtime is near: it gets light earlier in the morning, and stays light longer into the evening, there’s signs of greenery breaking through the hardened frozen ground, the birds are tweeting their springtime songs and baseball spring training camps are alive and well.

Spiritually speaking, we are in the midst of the liturgical season of Lent, a “springtime” of faith, as we are called to turn away from sin and whatever leads us away from God, and to return with hearts renewed to experience yet again God’s unconditional love and bountiful mercy.  During these Lenten days, we are reminded of the countless scriptural passages in the Old Testament when 
God goes to great lengths, thru His patriarchs and prophets, to plead to His people to: “return to Me with your whole heart, with fasting, weeping and mourning; rend
your hearts, not your garments, and return to Me, the Lord”. (Joel 2:13)   However, the Gospel passages during these days of Lent are where we see and hear Jesus—the Son of God—the Word made Flesh—the Suffering Servant—the One Who has come to redeem the world—preaching the Good News of God’s love from a very personal and intimate perspective, as One Who knows God as Father, and Who teaches us to know God in that same personal and intimate way.

One of the traditional Lenten devotions that is so worthwhile for all of us is when we gather together to pray the Stations of the Cross.  As we reflect on those 14 Stations, we truly accompany Jesus as He carries the Cross that is laden with the sins of humanity, which is why it is so back-breakingly heavy, on His way to Calvary, where He would be crucified and die in reparation for the sins of the
world—for your sins and my sins.  Following Jesus through the prayerful reflection on the Stations of the Cross reminds us of the depth of God’s love for us, that He would allow His Son to endure such ignominy and suffering, because that was the only way to accomplish God’s ultimate plan, which was to restore the relationship between our Father and His wayward sons and daughters of the human 
race. What Jesus accomplished on Calvary was a once-for-all-Saving Event, which we commemorate each and every time we come together to celebrate the Eucharist.
The least that we can do is to accompany Jesus through prayer, fasting and works of charity during these 40 days of Lent, and to prayerfully give thanks to God for His gift of redemption through the Stations of the Cross.

What is truly amazing, however, is not only did Jesus accomplish this Saving Act of Reconciliation once-for-all on Calvary for us, which we sacramentally commemorate during each Holy Mass, but Jesus also accompanies each of us on our way through life. Jesus makes Himself Present to us in our daily sufferings and in our moments of joy; when life is difficult and in times of great success. Jesus accompanies us to strengthen our resolve with His grace, and to help us to accomplish what we cannot do on our own.  That is why, in addition to our times of personal prayer, fasting and works of charity, we should be inviting Jesus into our daily actions and seek the ways, through His accompaniment, to make our daily actions moments of grace for others.  The practice of the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy are ways for us to fulfill what Jesus told us very clearly in the 
Gospel of St. Matthew Chapter 25 will be how we will be judged at the end of our lives.  We hope that we will be considered “righteous”, so that we will hear the Father say to us: “Come, you who are blessed…and inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world.  For I was hungry, and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, a stranger and you welcomed Me, naked and you clothed Me, ill and you cared for Me, in prison and you visited Me.  Then the 
righteous will answer Him and say: ‘When did we see You?….And He will say in reply: ‘Amen I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers/sisters of Mine, you did for Me.’”

Being mindful of others circumstances with the Heart of Jesus and being compassionate toward their needs is a requirement for those of us who are trying to be faithful followers of Jesus, and who hope to be considered among the “righteous” who find our way to the Resurrection Joy of Heaven once our earthly “way of the Cross” is completed.

As we look around our world and consider the political issues of the day, we, as followers of Jesus, need to look beyond political positions and see where the Heart of Jesus is calling us to go. Whether we are considering issues such as immigration reform, gun control, racism, or the ecological care of our environment, we need
to ask Jesus who is accompanying us, how He wants us to welcome the stranger, put an end to violence against others, work for equality among all people who are beloved daughters and sons of God, and how we safeguard the beauty of God’screation all around us.  These are not choices that advance a political agenda; these are concerns that help us to build the Kingdom of God among us.

As Pope Francis wrote in his Lenten Message for 2018, the increase of what he called “iniquity” in the world is a sign of a growing “coldness of heart”.   As he writes: “Perhaps you are disturbed by the spread of iniquity in the world, and the chill that paralyzes hearts and actions, and you see a weakening in our sense of being members of the human family….If at times the flame of charity seems to die in our own hearts, know that this is never the case in the Heart of God. He constantly gives us a chance to begin loving anew.”

My dear Family of Faith, this Lent is truly a “springtime”, a season to turn from sin and grow in God’s Love for us, and for all people.  As we spend time accompanying Jesus on His Way to Calvary and being inspired by His love for us and all the world, may we allow all our Lenten practices, devotions, and activities to be for the purpose of rekindling the love of Jesus in our hearts.  May Jesus, who accompanies us on our “way” through life, help us to share His love to all those we encounter along the way, not just until Easter, but throughout the remainder of our lives.